Cruising Through Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi in Our Beloved Dawei - A Self-Drive Tour of Shaoguan, Chenzhou, Jinggangshan, Ganzhou, Meizhou, and Heyuan

Recently, we took our beloved Dawei and drew a small circle across the lands of Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi. Throughout the journey, we were fortunate to be accompanied by lush green mountains and clear waters, blue skies and white clouds.

Our first stop was Shaoguan. Shaoguan is located in the northern part of Guangdong Province, at the southern foot of the Wuling mountain range, in the middle and upper reaches of the Bei River. It connects the Pearl River Delta internally and links Hunan and Jiangxi externally, earning the name 'Northern Gateway of Guangdong.' Shaoguan is the homeland of the Maba people, the birthplace of the Shixia culture, the ancestral seat of Chan Buddhism, and the hometown of the renowned prime minister Zhang Jiuling of the Tang Dynasty.

I believe that accommodation is a crucial part of traveling, and of course, it is also the most expensive expense of the entire trip. Therefore, before each departure, I carefully compare hotels on Ctrip, mainly focusing on location, price, ratings, and reviews from other guests. After staying, I also write reviews of our experience for others' reference. Hence, my travelogues for each city always start with an introduction and evaluation of the hotel we stayed in, hoping that there are others as particular about choosing hotels as I am who will find it useful.

In Shaoguan, we stayed at the Hampton by Hilton Shaoguan, which has an online rating of 4.9. We have stayed at a few Hampton by Hilton hotels recently and have grown to really like this chain. From now on, wherever we go, this hotel will be our first choice. The Hampton by Hilton Shaoguan did not disappoint us; it exudes the aura of a five-star hotel with great value for money. The only downside was that there was no table or rack for suitcases in the room, which was slightly inconvenient. Apart from that, there were no complaints.

A robot delivered welcome fruit to us!

The hotel's buffet breakfast was abundant, and the dining environment was clean and attractive—exactly my style.

We also had two meals at the second-floor Chinese restaurant 'Huan Yan'—once for dim sum and once for dinner—and both were delicious.

The view from the hotel window.

The hotel provides a laundry room for guests, equipped with washing machines, dryers, and irons, conveniently located on our floor.

Shaoguan's Hundred-Year East Street. A pedestrian street, it should be the best place to reflect the local life and烟火 of the city. And I love to linger in such places to observe the local scenery and the various aspects of life.

Exiting East Street, turning a corner through Fengcai Tower, we arrived at Fengdu Road Pedestrian Street. This area seemed more bustling and larger in scale than East Street.

The famous Fengcai Tower. 'Fengcai Tower, located in the urban area of Shaoguan, faces the Wu River to the west and the Zhen River to the east. It was built in the Ming Dynasty during the Hongzhi reign by Qian Yong, the prefect of Shaozhou, to commemorate the famous Northern Song official Yu Jing. It has been renovated many times. Because Yu Jing was praised for his 'more distinguished bearing that moved the court,' the tower was named Fengcai Tower. The calligraphy 'Fengcai Tower' by the Ming scholar Chen Baisha is supple yet vigorous, elegant and graceful, and was carved into a stone plaque hanging high on the tower. The tower is about 22 meters high, with double eaves and green tiles, topped with three layers of upturned eaves and corners, and a decorative small dome in the center. The entire building is majestic and unique, with an imposing air. It is a landmark building of Shaoguan and now serves as the Shaoguan Museum.' (Excerpt from Ctrip)

The pedestrian street at night was more vibrant and dazzling.

We had dinner at Peng's Kitchen on the pedestrian street. Their business was thriving, with almost no empty seats. We ordered a pocket bun stuffed with beef and a dish of boneless meat with dried cabbage hearts (unexpectedly dried, but quite tasty). We were fairly satisfied with the meal. After all, we were still within Guangdong, and the flavors didn't differ much from those in Guangzhou.

Our most anticipated attraction in Shaoguan was Danxia Mountain. 'Danxia Mountain, also known as China's Red Stone Park, is located in Renhua County and Zhenjiang District of Shaoguan City. It is the largest scenic area primarily featuring Danxia landform in Guangdong Province. Together with Dinghu Mountain, Luofu Mountain, and Xiqiao Mountain, it is considered one of the Four Famous Mountains of Guangdong.' (Excerpt from Ctrip)

To be honest, Danxia Mountain was a bit disappointing. Firstly, as a 5A scenic spot, there seemed to be little management or service facilities. As soon as we entered, someone came to solicit us to eat at their home. A staff member enthusiastically suggested we take a boat ride, and we also met a very helpful staff member who introduced the tour route—we were grateful for that. Secondly, the scenery was not particularly stunning; we didn't even take any beautiful photos.

In the morning, we first went to the Yangyuan Stone scenic area. Our original plan was to have lunch at a farmhouse restaurant within the scenic area, take a short rest, and then visit the Elder Peak scenic area in the afternoon. However, since we lost interest in the morning, we had a quick lunch at the farmhouse and returned directly to Shaoguan.

On the third morning, after leaving Shaoguan, we drove directly to the Mangshan Wuzhi Peak Scenic Area in Chenzhou, a drive of over two hours.

Mangshan Wuzhi Peak Scenic Area is located in Rongjiadong, Yizhang County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province. It can be described as 'one mountain spanning two provinces, with Hunan and Guangdong viewing Mangshan.' The scenic area not only boasts beautiful natural scenery, steep mountains, and swirling clouds, but also features the world's most advanced control system, the longest single-line sightseeing cable car in China, the longest cloud-walking boardwalk in southern China, and a cliff elevator at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The area has installed cable cars, escalators, self-service 'stair-climbing machines,' and cliff-viewing vertical elevators between 1,400 and 1,600 meters above sea level, creating a barrier-free tourist passage. This allows people with mobility issues to reach the top of Mangshan Wuzhi Peak without leaving their wheelchairs, earning it the title of 'China's First Barrier-Free Mountain Scenic Area.' Such a massive investment in creating this scenic area is truly remarkable.

We felt that this scenic area not only had complete facilities but also excellent management. We could only park our car in the parking lot (very large) in front of the ticket office, and then take the scenic area's sightseeing bus to enter.

The sightseeing bus directly took us to the cable car station. Visitors must take the cable car up and down the mountain, as the distance is too far to walk.

The cable car ride lasted nearly twenty minutes, crossing three mountain peaks—truly worthy of being China's longest sightseeing cable car. For someone like me who is somewhat afraid of heights, it was quite an ordeal. Going up, I was so nervous that my heart felt uncomfortable. However, the cable car was very steady and slow, and my mood relaxed a lot on the return trip.

Finally, we arrived at the top cable car station. Standing there, looking out, we had a feeling of 'seeing all other mountains as small.' From then on, my husband's phone never left his hand, as he kept snapping photos continuously. Actually, the top cable car station was not the highest point; we still had to walk along the boardwalk, going up and down in a loop.

There were two straight elevators in the scenic area, one going up and one going down, each charging 40 yuan per ride. From the tour map above, the Motianling elevator on the left is an ascending elevator, saving about 30 minutes of uphill walking; the Xiaotiantai elevator on the upper right is a descending elevator, also saving much effort; the one at the bottom is an escalator near the entrance, which goes up in the morning and changes to down from 3:30 PM.

Along the stairways, there were barrier-free ramps or self-service 'stair-climbing machines.' We also encountered two or three visitors using wheelchairs.

We meandered along the pedestrian walkway clinging to the mountainside. Because of my fear of heights, walking on the narrow boardwalk with steep cliffs below made my legs tremble. I dared not look down and mostly stayed close to the mountain side, waiting for my husband to take photos while occasionally sneaking glances at the scenery. My husband repeatedly reminded me not to look down but to follow the yellow line on the boardwalk and stay to the inside. No wonder some netizens warned that this attraction is not suitable for those afraid of heights!

There was a restaurant halfway up the mountain selling fast food and instant noodles. We asked a couple who had just finished their meal how the food was. They replied, 'It fills you up!' We had brought plenty of snacks and water, stopping and resting along the way, eating and drinking, so we weren't tired, hungry, or thirsty.

To descend, we took the cable car again. This time, I wasn't as scared.

This 4A scenic area gave us a great surprise. We felt its beauty and steepness were no less than Huangshan or Sanqing Mountain, and its facilities were excellent. It will surely be rated 5A eventually. We stayed there for about five hours. We left the scenic area around 5 PM. Originally, we planned to find a place nearby to rest for the night before heading to Chenzhou, but this was a newly developed area with no signs of civilization around. On the way in, we saw a 'guesthouse village,' but since we don't like staying in private guesthouses, we didn't go in. In the end, we drove for over two more hours and arrived in Chenzhou after nightfall. That day was exhausting, exhilarating, and fulfilling.

Chenzhou is located in the southeast of Hunan Province, bordering Ganzhou in Jiangxi to the east, Shaoguan in Guangdong to the south, Yongzhou in Hunan to the west, and Hengyang and Zhuzhou in Hunan to the north. It is known as the 'Southern Gateway of Hunan.' It has been both a 'place of strategic importance' and a 'land of cultural brilliance.'

In Chenzhou, we stayed at the Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Palace. We had stayed at the Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Palace in Ningbo more than once before and had a great experience. When we saw this branch in Chenzhou, we chose it without hesitation. The room was huge, the bathroom was spacious and had a good wet-dry separation, and overall, we were very comfortable and satisfied. I told my husband that it would be wonderful if we could stay in hotels like this for the entire trip.

The restaurant had a vibrant Chinese-style décor, which surprised me a bit. The buffet breakfast offered both Chinese and Western options with a wide variety. For us who prefer Western breakfast, we were quite satisfied, and the service staff were very friendly.

Since we were extremely tired from the previous day, we decided to find a park or something in Chenzhou city center to stroll around. Baidu showed a Wangxian Lake Park near the hotel. We drove there but couldn't find an entrance nor see a lake—it didn't look like a park at all, so we left disappointed. Then we went to Wangxianling Park, but the security guard at the gate said the mountain path was very steep and there wasn't much to see. Having climbed the beautiful Mangshan the day before, we had no interest in other mountains for a while, so we decided not to enter. Finally, the guard suggested that if we wanted to see water, we could go to Ailian Lake Park.

This park was a recreational park for residents. There were many young parents with cute kids playing. My husband said it was a 'kid-wrangling park.' We took a short walk around and left.

In the afternoon, we drove to a relatively good shopping center, 'You'a International Plaza,' recommended by the hotel front desk girl. After parking in the underground garage, we first went to the opposite Beihu Park. This park was larger than Ailian Lake Park and was packed with people—it seemed like all the elderly in the city had gathered here, playing cards, chess, singing, and dancing, creating a lively atmosphere. We couldn't help but feel that although Chenzhou is not a big city, the people here probably have a high sense of happiness.

We strolled around You'a International Plaza for a while.

Finally, we chose this rooftop Western restaurant, which seemed to be a trendy spot. It had a nice ambiance and environment, and prices weren't too cheap, but their food was good, and we were quite satisfied with the meal.

Leaving Chenzhou, we went to Dongjiang Lake. Many people come to Chenzhou for the mist-covered Xiao Dongjiang at this scenic area. Unfortunately, we arrived after the season (April–October each year) and didn't see the misty wonder.

Xinbo Hotel (Zixing Dongjiang Lake Branch). I came across this hotel in someone else's travelogue, and it had a high rating on Ctrip. For hotels or guesthouses within the scenic area, this one was quite good. The hotel is located next to the Cable Bridge Bar Street (we didn't see any bars, just a few food stalls), about a hundred meters from the cable bridge and about 800 meters from the Dongjiang Lake scenic area ticket office—great location. The hotel had a slightly fresh and literary style. My husband said the owner must be an educated person. The room and bathroom were spacious and practical.

We booked a riverside twin room with a small balcony, overlooking Xiao Dongjiang. Unfortunately, this season didn't have the misty views.

The hotel offers a buffet breakfast, but when there are fewer guests, it switches to set meals. There are two or three options each for Chinese and Western styles. The night before, they call the room to confirm your choice and the delivery time the next morning. We stayed two nights, having the buffet once and the set meal once. The buffet had limited choices, and we actually preferred the set meal. We ordered one Chinese and one Western set and told them we would go to the restaurant to eat, but the chef gave each of us both a Chinese and a Western set.

The hotel's restaurant is on the basement floor, with a door directly to the riverside. It's nice for a walk after meals or at night.

The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner. We ate there twice—having Dongjiang fish (my husband thought the fish was okay but the flavor was mediocre; I thought the flavor was okay but the fish was so-so—truly a case of different tastes) and their special cheap chopped pepper fish head. Perhaps because it wasn't a weekend or peak season, the restaurant was quiet with few guests.

That afternoon, we drove to the Bailang Ring Lake Road on the northeast side of Dongjiang Lake (navigate to Bailang Pier, which is the start of the road). It's called a 'ring' lake road, but it's more of a 'lakeside' road, because Dongjiang Lake is huge. We drove about ten kilometers on this road (we felt we'd reached the end, as there were fewer cars and people ahead), which was just a small stretch on the map. The scenery was indeed beautiful, and there were many small parking spots for vehicles to stop and take photos.

The next morning, we went to the Dongjiang Lake scenic area early. Since it wasn't the season for misty Xiao Dongjiang, the scenic area opened at 8:30 AM (in peak season, it opens at 6:30 AM). There are several routes for touring Dongjiang Lake. If you focus on Xiao Dongjiang, you can choose Route 1. If you want to go to the island to see the karst cave, choose Route 2. There is also a boat tour around the lake, and rafting in summer. We had no interest in boat tours or karst caves (I'll say it again: after seeing the mountains, waterfalls, and caves in Guizhou, other places seem less appealing), so we decided to take Route 1.

Some netizens suggested taking the sightseeing bus to Viewing Platform 2, then walking along the path to Viewing Platform 4 to watch the net-casting performance—this is the essence of Xiao Dongjiang. However, the driver took us directly to Viewing Platform 3. We walked from there to Viewing Platform 4, where most tourists were gathered.

The vast Dongjiang Lake with its misty waters, and Xiao Dongjiang without mist—a pity, but the lake under the blue sky was still beautiful.

It is said that the net-casting performance is held from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM daily. We arrived before 10 AM and were told there would be a last cast, so we got to see it.

Watching the boat gradually fade away.

A young girl wearing Hanfu.

From Viewing Platform 4, we took the sightseeing bus again to the terminal, Dongjiang Dam. This is also the location of the cruise ship dock, with many farmhouse restaurants nearby.

Route 1's package ticket includes Longjing Canyon, also near the dock. Some locals were selling oranges at one yuan per jin (very cheap). We bought a large bag for five yuan, and the oranges were delicious.

In the evening, we searched online for local food and drove a few kilometers to the top-rated 'Dingjiajia.' This is a chain restaurant, and there was one near the hotel, but my husband said that if we wanted to eat the famous local freshwater salmon, it's best to go to a busier restaurant for freshness. The staff said that a whole salmon is big and they only open one if other guests order it in the morning, so we couldn't have the salmon. We ended up ordering garlic stir-fried South American shrimp, cabbage, and glutinous rice cake (ciba), which were quite delicious.

Jinggangshan City is located in the southwest of Jiangxi Province, in the middle section of the Luoxiao Mountains at the junction of Hunan and Jiangxi. In ancient times, it was known as 'the crossroads of Chen, Heng, Xiang, and Gan, the belly of the thousand-mile Luoxiao range.' Jinggangshan is a red land, hailed as 'the cradle of the Chinese revolution' and 'the cornerstone of the People's Republic of China.' Both my husband and I had visited with our respective work units before. This time, we were revisiting Jinggangshan. We noticed that almost all visitors were either company team-building groups or tour groups; individual tourists like us were very rare.

'For long I've cherished lofty aspirations / To revisit Jinggangshan. / Coming from afar to seek our old haunts / Old scenes have taken new look.' — Mao Zedong

In late autumn, we revisited Jinggangshan, paying homage to the revolutionary sacred site, commemorating the martyrs' spirits, remembering our original aspirations and missions, and cherishing our happy life!

Jinggangshan Lingyun Hotel was overall very good. The room and bathroom were spacious, comfortable, and convenient. Previous hotels we stayed at offered welcome fruit upon arrival, but this one gave fruit every day, with good quality and different combinations each day—showing sincerity. The hotel is located in Ciping Scenic Area, just two or three kilometers from the visitor center. It's convenient by car, but walking back to the hotel uphill would be tough without a vehicle. Breakfast was mostly Chinese-style, which didn't quite suit our taste. The hotel restaurant also serves lunch and dinner with à la carte options. There weren't many people, but the service was good. We had dinner there twice, but the food was unbearably salty.

After settling in the hotel, we immediately walked downhill to the center of Ciping Scenic Area (rumored to be the largest flat area in Jinggangshan). We ate lunch at a small eatery and then started exploring. There is Yicui Lake Park and several free attractions around it, such as the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum, Comrade Mao Zedong's Former Residence, Jinggangshan Martyrs' Cemetery, Tianjie, and more.

Yicui Lake Park.

Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum.

Comrade Mao Zedong's Former Residence.

Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery.

Jinggangshan Gymnasium.

Tianjie. Tianjie is not a single street but a commercial area with various small shops, though it felt a bit disorganized. Tianjie has free parking. Each time we came down the mountain, we parked the car there and then wandered around to shop. Because we found Jiangxi cuisine too salty and greasy, one evening we didn't feel like eating out and went to a supermarket to buy two instant noodle packs we had never tried before. Perhaps it had been a long time since we last had instant noodles, but surprisingly they tasted quite good. On the day we left, we drove specifically to that store and bought all the remaining packs in the supermarket, storing them in the car for emergencies.

The next morning, we drove to the nearby visitor center, parked the car, and bought tickets to enter. To be honest, Jinggangshan is a base for Chinese revolutionary education and should encourage ordinary people to visit, pay respects, learn, and understand Chinese revolutionary history. However, the ticket prices were extremely expensive. The two of us paid 490 yuan for a combined ticket (admission plus sightseeing bus). No wonder there were so few self-funded individual tourists.

Jinggangshan tourism is known as 'red tourism' and 'green tourism,' allowing visitors to both trace revolutionary history and enjoy the green mountains and waters.

When we took the sightseeing bus to Huangyangjie, the only passengers besides us were from a tour group. The group was led by a middle-aged female guide who gave an excellent introduction to Jinggangshan's revolutionary history along the way. Sitting in the front row, we listened with great interest, and before we knew it, we reached the top without feeling motion sickness. She asked, 'Are all of you from the 26th Army?' I replied, 'No, we're not. We're independent soldiers.' She smiled and said, 'No problem, we'll incorporate you!' Everyone laughed heartily, creating a great atmosphere.

Red Army Mint.